Synonymy

Sphagnetum pools Rankin 1911 a; Sphagnetum regeneration complex, Stages 1 & 2 Tansley 1939; Sphagnum lawn Poore & Walker 1958, Sinker 1962, Green & Pearson 1968; Sphagnum cuspidatum-Eriophorum angustifolium, Sphagnum recurvum-Vaccinium oxycoccos & Sphagnum recurvum-Erica tetralix Noda, Normal Series Tallis 1973; Sphagnum flexuosum noda 16- 19 Daniels 1978; Sphagnum cuspidatum pool community Bignal & Curtis 1981 p.p.; Sphagno tenelli-Rhynchosporetum albae Dierssen 1982.

Constant species

Erica tetralix, Eriophorum angustifolium, Drosera rotundifolia, Sphagnum cuspidatumIrecurvum.

Rare species

Andromeda polifolia, Carex magellanica, Sphagnum pulchrum.

Physiognomy

The Sphagnum cuspidatum!recurvum community is typically dominated by extensive soft wet carpets of Sphagnum cuspidatum and/or S. recurvum with, very locally, S. pulchrum (e.g. Sinker 1962, Ratcliffe 1977). In marked contrast to the bog pools of more oceanic parts of Britain, S. auriculatum is rare here. There is occasionally a little S. tenellum, S. magellanicum or S. papillosum and, where the community forms the pool and wet hollow component of patterned mire surfaces, these species generally represent a clear transition to the drier surrounds. Quite often, however, this kind of vegetation occurs as more extensive lawns where the differentiation of these structural elements is ill-defined. Other bryophytes are scarce but there can be occasional patches of Poly trichum commune or Aulacomnium palustre or scattered shoots of leafy hepatics like Gymnocolea inflata, Odontoschisma sphagni or Mylia anomola in the Sphagnum carpet.

Vascular plants typically occur as scattered indivi duals of low total cover but Eriophorum angustifolium and Erica tetralix are both constant throughout, the former often extending into deeper pools, the latter more confined to drier areas. Drosera rotundifolia is very frequent and Narthecium ossifragum occurs occasionally. As in the Sphagnum auriculatum bog pools, Rhynchospora alba can be quite abundant around pool margins but it is very much more common in one particular sub-community here. A little more evenly distributed and especially distinctive of this kind of Rhynchosporion vegetation is the Continental Northern Andromeda polifolia, the national distribution of which largely coincides with the range of this community and the type of Erico-Sphagnion mire within which it forms the wetter element.